Noob resistor questions

Thread Starter

razz

Joined Feb 28, 2011
6
Ok i'm very new at this, i figured i could start learning stuff on my spare time, so i bought 100$ wort of LEDs, capacitors, resistors, etc to play around.

so i'm making a circuit, and i have abot 30 different type of resistors with me, i need one that is 330ohm, according to online source, its color is orange orange brown. However, all my resistors have 5 bands of colors, am i only suppose to read the 3 in the middle? I know one is for tolerance, but what about the 5th?
also how do you know if you're reading from left to right or right to left?
orange, black, red ....or red, black orange ? know what I mean

Thanks for any input,
i'll probably be asking more noob questions in the next few days.
 

R!f@@

Joined Apr 2, 2009
9,918
You should have bought a DMM first.

Five band resistors is sometimes confusing.
The temperature coefficient band is a bit futher away than the rest.

For a Metal film resistors, five bands are used. all 4 bands counts for the numericals.

The bands with equal distance is where you should look. The fifth bans is always a bit far

Bythe way...Welcome to AAC.

The more you ask the more you will learn, and the more friendlier you will become to AAC folks
 

SgtWookie

Joined Jul 17, 2007
22,230

Thread Starter

razz

Joined Feb 28, 2011
6
Read from left to right with the tolerance band on the rightmost side of the resistor.
the 1st band & 5th band are each on the bigger end, and then there is the 3 bands in the middle, so how do i know which one is the 1st band on either side and which is the 5th?

Here's a graphical 5-band resistor color code calculator for you to try out:
http://samengstrom.com/15924820/en/read/?&history=24614782,15924820,46436194,15924820
Thanks for that link ! I could use something like that to confirm I have the right resistor in hand!
 

someonesdad

Joined Jul 7, 2009
1,583
While being able to read color codes is handy, you need a simple DMM as someone else mentioned. Go get a $3 Harbor Freight one -- it's fine for your needs.
 

Jaguarjoe

Joined Apr 7, 2010
767
Every time I get a shipment of stuff from MP Jones, he throws in a business card sized resistor value calculator card. Maybe if you ask for one, he'll send one to you. If that doesn't work, PM me with your address and I'll send you mine.
 

Thread Starter

razz

Joined Feb 28, 2011
6
Lets look at this picture i took of one of my resistors,
i need orange orange brown, clearly this isn't it, but closes one i could find based on colors...lol.
Which of these 5 bands are the 3 i am looking for, is this one orange black black?
or am i reading it upside down and is really black black orange? how am i suppose to know ?!
thought it would help with a picture:


 

Thread Starter

razz

Joined Feb 28, 2011
6
from left to right on that picture
Orange Orange Black Black Brown

but maybe i'm holding it upside down and it's really
Brown Black Black Orange Orange

that's what i'm trying to figure out...

Here is my first little tests,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1YLbOm9C4U
just want to flash some lights, i put 2 different capacitors for different blinking pattern,
I'm not even sure if those lights should be next to each other as they are
also, not sure which resistors i'm using, lol.
and I can still smell something that smells like burning, slighty.... this would be caused by resistors that are to low?
 
Last edited:

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
The DVM suggestion is a good one. My eyes aren't as good as they used to be, and the colors may not be as accurate as they should be, the DVM will tell the tale. After you are through measuring you can compare what you measured to what is marked on the resistor.
 

Jony130

Joined Feb 17, 2009
5,487
For sure it is Orange Orange Black Black Brown.
Becaues in 5 bands resistor the last band is typically Brown or Red.
And Orange can not be the last band.
 

Thread Starter

razz

Joined Feb 28, 2011
6
For sure it is Orange Orange Black Black Brown.
Becaues in 5 bands resistor the last band is typically Brown or Red.
And Orange can not be the last band.
ok, good to know!
so now my next question, for the 3 bands that determine the OHM,
is it orange orange black, or orange black black in the picture

sorry for low quality, taking with my BB
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
Depends on percentage. Most 5% resistors only have 3 bands, plus a tolerance band (gold or silver). With 1% resistors 4 numbers are needed. It is spelled out in the tables that were linked to in earlier posts.
 
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